Flavor Profile
The Origin series of gins explore the ways that regional differences in climate can affect the flavor of juniper in distilled products. In Fall 2016, I wrote about this phenomenon in Artisan Spirit magazine, but I find that the Origin series (available from Master of Malt) is the best way, short of sourcing and distilling yourself, to witness this variation.
About Lopare
Lopare is situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a small municipality that was divided in two after the war in the early 1990’s. It’s located in the Northern part of the country, in the forested parts of the Pannonian basin lowlands.
Tasting Notes
Crisp piney primarily on the nose. Vivid, with a suggestion of fir.
The palate is robust with juniper early on the pine-forward side, with a big of herbaceous and resiny juniper notes late. The finish is heavy on the resiny notes.
At times the Lopare Origin Gin comes across as tasting very, very foresty. It’s boreal and quintessentially pine-forward juniper.
Compared to other regions, Lopare, Bosnia and Herzegovina seems to be heavy in the α-Pinene flavors, and rather lighter in sabinene, with more literal pine and less camphoreous and woody notes.
Overall
Naturally, all of the single-origin gins are well suited for those who just want a juniper-forward gin. Lopare reminds me of that juniper note in Gordon’s. It’s pleasantly piney and surprising in its unsurprising aroma and flavor. It tastes like the juniper that’s in a million gins. Given the variation evident in the Origin line of juniper-only gins, I have to say: that is quite surprising.
Awards
